Saturday    16th December   2006

London League 2 South     Maidstone 15 Thanet Wanderers 15

Maidstone still remain unbeaten against Saturday’s visitors Thanet Wanderers in league matches.However they nearly let it slip in the final minutes but hung on for the draw.In truth the town side should have had this match more than sewn up by half time.Too many scoring chances were squandered through wrong options.It was when the ball went along the line that Winger Harry Stockford was able to use his pace to get to the line and set up a good conversion position for Craig Whitehead to add the points.But then a poor Maidstone clearance kick set up a Thanet line out who caught and rolled 30 metres to release their centre Plumridge to the line.A Craig Whitehead penalty put Maidstone’s noses back in front. Maidstone now got the own pack rumbling to the line for nr 8 Ben Court to get the touch down.
15-5 at half time
The next 20 minutes saw both sides trying to play rugby in ever increasing boggy conditions with first one side and then the other being camped in each others half,for the respective defences to thwart the advances and clear their own lines. Credit is due however to the Maidstone pack who fought hard to keep the visitors at bay.Thanet said afterwards that ‘this was the toughest pack they had come up against all season’
The yellow card for Maidstone full back John Wilford showed yet another 10 decisive period when the opposition can take advantage of lack of numbers.this they did with the overlap that allowed Macaulay to get the touch down.This brought the score ever closer.The next try came from a Maidsone kick that didn’t find touch and in doing so Thanet were able to set their backs free in particular the slippery Yan D’Dong on the wing who was able to level the score.A frenetic final injury time period saw both teams going for the win!Heart attack potenial for the many spectators though! Maidstone pounded the thanet line with scrum after scrum in the gathering gloom.With the push over option for the last points hitting  the ‘Granite Thanet’  pack  the last throw of the dice was a drop goal attempt from Craig Whitehead.It was worth a shot but just went wide.The ref blew up with neither side really happy with the result!
Maidstone can reflect on what might have been,but it was in their own hands and they didn’t take it.
This is the last match before the christmas break.Everyone at Maidstone Rugby Club should like to wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a very happy new year.
League action resumes on Saturday January 6th away at Wimbledon.

Scorers Tries Harry Stockford Ben Court Conversion Craig Whitehead

Penalty Craig Whitehead

Team:John Wilford, Harry Stockford, Mark Ryan,Martin Arnold(capt) Damian Houlihan(Ferris), Scott Mitchell,Craig Whitehead Rob Jeffrey Tom Rogers, Simon Hollister,Steve Matthews,Andy Bacon, Fin Davis,Nick Taylor,Ben Court(Nick Sargent